1. Part I. Plotting….always plotting
Name __________________________________________ Date _______________ Period ____________
That Funky Fizz
With this lab, we embark on a new unit. I sense that our current direction in the class is getting again dangerously close to the “learn something, have a quiz” model that we all loathe, detest, and curse to the deepest circles of Hades in our nightly prayers. So, I have decided in a change of course, again, to a more physical, hands-on approach. We will be investigating all sorts of science concepts, but in ways that I hope will be entertaining to you. I hope also that you’ll learn something from our time together.
This activity is designed to keep you busy whilst I’m gone, and also to help us plan out what else we will be doing in our “fun” science unit. The first activity that I propose, before it gets too terribly cold, involves a lot of pop and some Mentos…
Here’s the deal. We all have seen the videos online of people exploding bottles of pop with Mentos. But do you know why this happens? Can it be controlled? Could you make a rocket out of this setup? These are some of the questions that you need to answer. Please read all the questions below carefully, and make sure that you give reasonable responses. Be imaginative! Good luck, have fun, now go forth and do science!
Part I. Plotting….always plotting
We will start off by dropping some Mentos into pop, just to get a baseline reading of what we’re dealing with. But how can we alter the situation?
1. What other vessels could we use? That is, do you think that the pop has to remain in the original bottle to work? What other containers would you like to try?
2. What kind of nozzle or attachment can we add to the pop bottle to make the results more exciting?
3. Simply dropping the Mentos into the pop bottle is kind of drab, and may result in us getting fairly wet. Can you think of a way to introduce the candy do the liquid from a distance? Some sort of apparatus or device? Design one below.

2. 4. Do a lil’ internet research
4. Do a lil’ internet research. Use the computers in the pod, and the one in the classroom. You may (and will have to) work in groups. What causes this tremendously exciting reaction? Can we add a chemical to increase or change it?
5. How would you design a rocket using the principle of Mentos-pop-propulsion?
Part II: Sooooo Cold….
I have located a source of liquid nitrogen, as well as a source of dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide). We will be playing with both of these things. By playing, however, I don’t mean “catch” or “hopscotch,” but rather we’ll investigate the chemical and physical principles of things that cold. Help me design what we’re doing to do by answering the questions below.
1. What do you think (within reason, and within the law (both of physics and the USA)) that we could dunk in liquid nitrogen to get some cool results?
2. Liquid nitrogen is often used in chemistry labs to condense a gas. How could we use this principle in our lab?
3. The chemical and physical properties of many common objects and substances change drastically when they are chilled to very low temperatures. Do you think a watch or a clock or food would work/taste good after having been frozen?

3. PART III: Other Explosives
4. How cold is liquid nitrogen? How cold is dry ice? How are they made? Use the interweb to answer these questions.
5. What are some safety concerns that we will need to consider when toying with such cold substances?
PART III: Other Explosives
We are going to investigate one reaction called the Lycopodium reaction. This is named after the plan from which lycopodium is derived. Lycopodium spores are very very fine, and as such, have a very high surface area. When introduced to a heat source (i.e. a candle), they ignite explosively. We will be measuring many things using this reaction.
1. Use the internet to find out a little bit about lycopodium. What kind of a plant is it? What makes the spores so explosive? What other facts can you find?
2. What measurements could we take of an explosion in a closed container?
3. An explosion releases a tremendous amount of energy. What forms can this energy take?
Use the rest of this form and the back of the page, if necessary, to record other explosive or interesting experiments that you might like to try. Think about common household chemicals, or stuff that we can special order. Be creative, but be legal.